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It's a phrase we all fear: You have cancer. But many people hear it—in fact, the American Cancer Society estimates there will be more than 1.5 million new cancer diagnoses in 2013. This year alone, more than half a million Americans may die from the disease.

But when you hear scary news, all you want is answers: What do I do? Where do I go? Fortunately, there are renowned cancer care hospitals all across the country—perhaps even in your backyard. And thanks to new developments in them, survivorship rates have increased.
So here are the best cancer hospitals in the United States—the places you'll want to go if you ever find yourself face-to-face with a diagnosis.

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NORTHEAST

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center(New York, NY)

Sloan-Kettering is one of the National Cancer Institute's 41 Comprehensive Cancer Centers (NCI CCCs). The hospital is staffed by more than 4,000 doctors, nurses, researchers, and lab investigators, and is a renowned research hospital. Its labs have created nine FDA-approved medicines—more than any other cancer center in the country. One drug, Neupogen, is used to treat white blood cell depletion in more than 1 million chemotherapy patients around the globe. (www.mskcc.org)

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Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center(Boston, MA)

Boston's hospitals are some of the best in the world, and Mass General is a prime example: With a complete range of patient care and services, it also has an extensive research base with nearly two dozen specialty programs. One recent bone marrow study found promising results from Denosumab—a treatment designed to alleviate spinal bone loss—in men receiving prostate cancer treatment. (Try this Gland Prevention Plan to fight prostate cancer early.) (www.massgeneral.org)

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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
(Boston, MA)

Combined with Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber provides a full range of oncology care to adults and children. Newly opened satellite cancer centers throughout New England—as far away as New Hampshire—also mean you don't always have to travel to the city for care. (www.dana-farber.org)

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MID-ATLANTIC

There's no shortage of research here: One scientist, Matthew Schiewer, Ph.D., recently received the Prostate Cancer Benjamin Franklin Young Investigator Award, and will use the funds to help find treatments for advanced-stage prostate cancers. The facility is also home to top-of-the-line equipment and high-tech features like electron and photon-beam treatment and complete 3-D treatment planning. (www.jeffersonhospital.org)

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Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania(Philadelphia, PA)

As one of the preeminent research hospitals in the country, Abramson has more than 400 scientists on staff. Penn is especially renowned for its colon and skin cancer care (see what Skin Cancer May Look Like right here), and has some of the top surgeons in the country. The center's Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Clinic was the first American derm program to offer a multidisciplinary approach to tackling the disease. (www.penncancer.org)

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Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland(Baltimore, MD)

Among the highest-rated in patient care and research, UMGCC also boasts the Stoler Pavilion—an outpatient facility where patients can visit doctors from multiple disciplines (like a surgical oncologist and a radiation oncologist) without having to leave the building. They recently made news for advancing a radiation delivery system, making it easier for docs to target cancer cells so surrounding organs and tissues receive less radiation. (www.umgcc.org)

Known for its diversity and groundbreaking research—which emerges from 32 specialty clinics, centers, and research facilities—Sidney Kimmel also prides itself on treating the body and mind. They integrate health therapies like acupuncture, and the "Art of Healing" program features an art museum, live music, and theater performances.
(www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center)

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SOUTHEAST

Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University (Durham, NC)

The perks of a brand-new facility include access to all the latest equipment available on the market. This cancer center’s new building also features meditation rooms and a rooftop garden for chemotherapy treatments. Like many other hospitals, Duke is known for its research. Scientists there recently discovered an immortal-cell-related gene mutation linked to brain tumors and other cancers. (www.dukecancerinstitute.org)

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Emory Winship Cancer Institute(Atlanta, GA)

Winship caters to patients with all types of cancer, with a special focus on prostate cancer. What they're up to now: testing possible vaccines and developing tests for early detection. Researchers are also currently examining how genes or your environment might predispose you to cancer—findings that could alter all our lives some day
(www.winshipcancer.emory.edu)

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Moffitt Cancer Center(Tampa, FL)

Moffitt is the only comprehensive cancer center in Florida, and scientists focus on early-stage translational research (how to make treatments benefit you as quickly as possible). It's also the Southeast's largest blood and marrow transplant center, with more than 328,000 patients visiting outpatient treatment programs a year. (www.moffitt.org)

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MIDDLE AMERICA

Taussig Cancer Institute, The Cleveland Clinic(Cleveland, OH)

Taussig offers patients same-day appointments—a rarity at medical facilities. The Cleveland Clinic even has a new app designed to help patients and physicians find clinical trials that match their illness. It has 130 trials to choose from and you can search based on disease, phase, hospital location, or doctor. (www.my.clevelandclinic.org/cancer/default.aspx)

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The University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center(Chicago, IL)

This cancer center has its own Advanced Solid Tumor Clinic (ASTC), a program offering specialized care to those whose cancer no longer responds to traditional treatments. ASTC has its own team of physicians, nurses, and researchers, and you don't need a doctor's referral to visit. (www.cancer.uchicago.edu)

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Mayo Clinic Cancer Center(Rochester, MN)

Be it a large online presence or satellite centers in Arizona and Florida, the Mayo Clinic has serious reach. They also have 10 NCI-sponsored research programs with scientists studying everything from immunotherapy and neuro-oncology to hematologic malignancies and gastrointestinal cancer. Mayo Clinic researchers recently discovered a molecule to target in treating pancreatic cancer. (www.mayoclinic.org)

Siteman is not only Missouri's only NCI CCC, it's also the only one within 240 miles of St. Louis. Researchers there recently discovered that a brain-building gene called 'Mindbomb 1' may help reduce inflammation in the gut and help heal injuries caused by stomach and pancreatic cancers. (www.barnesjewish.org)

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WEST/SOUTHWEST

University of Colorado Cancer Center(Denver, CO)

One cancer scientist here recently made headlines by developing a potential tumor treatment by successfully testing it on his Great Dane (which had cancer). Dr. Michael Graner created a vaccine that worked by essentially telling immune system T-cells what to attack. Now Dr. Graner is developing a clinical trial for human brain tumor patients.
(www.ucdenver.edu)

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MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas(Houston, TX)

MD's the country's largest NCI CCC, with seven research centers for basic science alone. It provides care at Texas Medical Center, hospitals in New Mexico, Florida, and Arizona, and in Istanbul and Madrid. MD Anderson is also home to a new proton therapy center offering the newest form of radiation. (www.mdanderson.org)

Researchers here recently developed a drug called Lambrolizumab, which could help improve treatment of metatastic melanoma (the kind that spreads) by 38 percent. The JCCC is also home to eight research programs, ranging from tumor immunology to gene regulation. (www.cancer.ucla.edu)

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NORTHWEST

Stanford Cancer Institute(Palo Alto, CA)

Stanford features an extensive research program, focusing on translational medicine. They have more than 300 clinical trials running. Recently, Stanford scientists discovered antibody and biologic therapies designed to help your immune system beat cancer. (www.stanford.edu)

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Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco(San Francisco, CA)

Four locations throughout San Francisco provide top-notch care, making it easier for patients to gain access. UCSF also has a "Population Science" research program, in which scientists examine new cancers and ways to improve prevention. One recent study found that aspirin could help fight cancer by slowing DNA damage. (www.cancer.ucsf.edu)

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The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, University of Washington(Seattle, WA)

The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance combines six different hospital and clinics, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center—best known for its research. Scientists there have won three Nobel Prizes for discoveries like bone marrow transplantation and immunotherapies that use your body’s immune system to fight cancer. (www.seattlecca.org)